Business

A former chief executive of Aston Villa and Liverpool is a surprise contender to become the inaugural chairman of the government’s controversial football watchdog. Sky News can exclusively reveal that Christian Purslow, who left Villa Park in 2023, is on a three-person shortlist being considered by Whitehall officials to chair the Independent Football Regulator (IFR).

The chairman of Kick It Out, the football anti-racism charity, has been shortlisted to become the first head of Britain’s proposed new Independent Football Regulator (IFR). Sky News has learnt that Sanjay Bhandari is among three remaining candidates being considered by the government to chair the watchdog. A decision is expected in the coming weeks,

The banking sector is “investing heavily” in digital platforms, according to the body which represents the country’s lenders as many face a backlash over the latest payday glitch chaos to hit customers. Millions were exposed on Friday to varying challenges from slow app or online banking performance to being blocked out of their accounts altogether.

The disgraced former chair of the Co-op Bank, Paul Flowers, has been jailed for three years on fraud charges. The 74-year old, who was forced out of the lender in 2013 amid claims of inappropriate expenses and illegal drugs allegations, admitted 18 counts of fraud worth nearly £100,000. Flowers, also a former Methodist minister, committed

Ed Woodward, the former Manchester United chief, has been approached about joining the vehicle which owns stakes in clubs including Crystal Palace and Olympique Lyonnais. Sky News has learnt that Mr Woodward, who left Old Trafford in 2022, a year after United’s involvement in the ill-fated European Super League project, is being lined up as

Oil and gas giant BP has again slashed its renewable energy investment and announced more funding for greater fossil fuel production. In a further row back of climate targets the company has said renewable energy investment will fall by $5bn (£3.95bn) a year to just $1bn to $2bn (£790m to £1.58bn). Less than half that

The average annual energy bill will increase to £1,849 from April as the industry regulator Ofgem increases the price cap for the third time in a row. When compared to prices over the last three months, the new figure represents a 6.4% a year – or £9.25 per month – increase in the typical sum

Did you know there’s a critical product – one without which we’d all be dead – which Europe is actually importing more of from Russia now than before the invasion of Ukraine? It might feel a bit pointless, given how much chat there is right now about the end of the Ukraine war, to spend

Did you know there’s a critical product – one without which we’d all be dead – which Europe is actually importing more of from Russia now than before the invasion of Ukraine? It might feel a bit pointless, given how much chat there is right now about the end of the Ukraine war, to spend

The net zero sector has grown by 10% over the past year – adding £83bn to the UK economy, a new study suggests. Employment in green businesses and industry has also climbed 10%, supporting the equivalent of 951,000 full-time jobs (2.9% of total UK employment). Politics latest: PM warns of ‘crucial moment’ in Ukraine war

Russian oligarchs with links to the Kremlin can now be banned from the UK, the government has announced as part of a fresh sanctions package on the third anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The Home Office said “elites” linked to the Russian state can now be prevented from entering the UK under the

Britain’s payments watchdog is expected to be abolished as part of a purge of regulators being thrashed out in Whitehall. Sky News has learnt that ministers and officials are examining whether to scrap the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) and fold it into the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). A decision is expected to be taken in

Hackers have stolen $1.5bn (£1.19bn) worth of digital money in what could be the biggest-ever cryptocurrency theft. The Dubai-based Bybit exchange said an attacker gained control of an Ethereum wallet and transferred its holdings to an unidentified address. The firm, which has more than 60 million users worldwide, said no other wallets were affected and

Cliff Nicholls runs two trampoline parks and indoor play centres: one in Tamworth in the West Midlands, the other in Bolton, Greater Manchester. He’s already feeling the pressure from the government’s latest budget measures and has been forced to abandon further investment plans. “The national minimum wage increases coming in April, combined with the reduced

A challenger bank which has amassed a substantial customer base of Britain’s wealthiest savers is in talks about raising £200m in private funding before pursuing a US flotation which would raise further questions about the attractiveness of the London market. Sky News has learnt that Monument Bank, which now has roughly £5bn in assets, has

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is coming under increased pressure to raise taxes or cut public spending as official figures show government borrowing was more expensive than expected, and tax revenue fell below expectations. The greatest budget surplus since records began in 1993 was reported by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in January. It means the

Shops were given a surprisingly big boost in January as official figures showed retail sales rose by 1.7%. Only a 0.3% rise had been forecast by economists polled by Reuters. It’s the first growth after four consecutive months of contraction and follows a fall of 0.6% in the key shopping month of December, according to

What happens when you put a boyhood fan in charge of their club? They discover it’s not so simple to run after all. And the fans you sat with many years ago are as impatient as ever. Anger reverberates exactly a year since Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS organisation gained day-to-day control of football

Hundreds more high street jobs will be lost this week after Quiz Clothing, the troubled fashion retailer, called in administrators. Sky News understands that the company, which was listed until recently on the London Stock Exchange, will see the closure of 23 of its shops, with about 200 employees expected to be made redundant. Quiz,

Inflation has risen a surprising amount – to the highest in nearly a year – official figures show. This means prices are rising even more than at any time since last March, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for January. The consumer price index (CPI) ticked up steeply to 3% from